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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — a break
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. season — in sport
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stock — goods
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com